a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the industry of key-locking devices. There are several types of key-locking devices. The designs range from completely enclosing the key to a clamping device which locks the working part of the key. Most of the latter devices use a mechanical clamping method.
b) Description of the Related Art
There has always has been and will always be a need in the market for a key securing system to prevent access by unauthorized personnel, but which is user friendly. This is true whether it is a house key for real estate brokers to show homes for rent or sale, or whether it is your local parking garage. The need is especially crucial with valet style parking garages which typically retain the customer's keys after parking the car. Parking garages that retain the customer's keys have a great administrative burden. A choice between retaining the key in a central secure location or leaving the keys in the car. The former is a logistical burden to the attendant due to the time required to drop the key off after parking the car and that required to pick it up prior to retrieving the car. Also, the keys need to be tagged and organized in the secure location. This unfortunately leads to keys being misplaced or mis-tagged. The alternative of leaving the keys in the car is not much better in that more attendants are required to police the garage to prevent unauthorized personnel from stealing the car. Either way the options are not desirable since they are either a logistical nightmare or an unnecessary increase in overhead costs, or both.
The present invention solves this dilemma. The invention is a portable key locking device which can be kept in the car, thereby eliminating the logistical nightmare of a central locking area. It secures the key from use by unauthorized personnel, thereby eliminating the need for unnecessary overhead required to police the entire garage.
Prior designs have either totally encapsulated the key or left part of the key exposed while using a hard steel locking mechanism.
The encapsulating designs have several disadvantages. One disadvantage is the fact that since the key is fully hidden from view it is not readily apparent which key is in the lock. Secondly, if the lock is destroyed, the key remains intact. The problem here is breaking the lock leaves a perfectly functional key thus rendering the security aspect of the design moot. These shortcomings are overcome by the present invention, which leaves the head of the key exposed thereby allowing easy identification of its contents. Secondly, it is designed to break the key if same is removed by force. Accordingly, the key is rendered useless to unauthorized personnel.
The designs which leave the key exposed use a metal clamping mechanism which holds the key in place. The Bianco design (U.S. Pat. No. 4,090,380) uses metal `vice jaws` which clamp the key in place. Unfortunately, these jaws damage the key rendering the key inoperative in the ignition. This damage occurs even though the lock was solely used by authorized personnel. Other designs use several moving parts to clamp the key which increase the cost of the device. Furthermore, the more moving parts that exist increase the chance that something will fail in the device.
The present invention resolves these shortcomings among the exposed key devices, since it uses revolutionary non-damaging substrates to clamp the key thereby eliminating the damage to the key. It has few moving parts which decreases the likelihood of the device failing and decreases its overall cost.
In summary, the present invention is a simply designed portable key securing system which does not damage the key when used by authorized personnel. It provides a simple solution to the market areas which require the flexibility obtained from a portable key securing system.
For the foregoing reasons stated above, there is a need for an inexpensive, reliable, non-damaging key locking device that is portable to provide flexibility for the person using the device.